Don Ramon Ferrer

Don Ramon Ferrer (died 1 July 1839) was the captain of La Amistad, a Spanish schooner. In 1839, Amistad left Havana, Cuba with 53 African slaves bound for their purchasers' plantations, but, due to the lack of slave quarters, the slaves were kept in the main hold and on the deck, being given relative freedom in moving around. This allowed for them to rebel against the crew on 1 July 1839, attacking them with cane knives. Ferrer and some of his crew were killed, while Don Jose Ruiz and Don Pedro Montez were spared so that they could guide the slaves back to Africa.